Just What Does an Editor Do All Day? (Or Nibbled to Death by Ducks) by Stacy Whitman from Stacy Whitman's Grimoire. Peek: "I like to joke that I get to read for a living, but the reality is that reading manuscript submissions is only a small part of my job, one that I constantly feel like I don’t have enough time to do. So here’s just a little window into the kinds of tasks I’ve been doing over the course of the last few weeks..."

Cynsational Blogger Tip: respect speakers' intellectual property (this includes sessions at writing workshops and conferences). Preparation for a new presentation takes time and energy. The speaker fee is negotiated with the idea that talks can be given again. Appropriating them can reduce that possibility or, at least, diminish the experience for future audiences.

What to Do If Your Agent Isn't Feeling the Love by Jennifer Laughran from Jennifer Represents. Peek: "The fact of the matter is, no matter how sympatico a client and agent might be in terms of taste and and personality, there are bound to be some occasions where you don't quite see eye-to-eye."

From now until July 15, Cheerios® is searching for the next great new children’s book author. One Grand Prize Winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a possible publishing deal with Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing in addition to having his or her book featured inside Cheerios cereal boxes nationwide. From now until July 15, Cheerios invites aspiring authors to enter the contest by submitting an original story in either English or Spanish and suitable for children ages three to eight. Those who think they have the “write” stuff can visit www.spoonfulsofstoriescontest.com for more information.

Informational Interviews by Alvina Ling from Blue Rose Girls. Tips for those looking to break into the publishing industry. Peek: "show up on time, and take the person's lead as to when the meeting is over. It might be a good idea to ask the person how much time they have at the beginning of the interview."

13 Reasons You Didn't Get Followed Back by Laura Dugan from Al Twitter: The Unofficial Twitter Resource. Peek: "Spam accounts are notorious for not uploading a profile picture. If you still have that little white egg as your pic, change it today and we bet those potential followers who were a little leery of your account will start following you back." Source: Jessica at BookEnds, LLC - A Literary Agency.

Enter the Illegal Photo Contest from author Bettina Restrepo. Readers ages 13 to 18 are invited to submit photo(s) that represent their reaction to the book Illegal (HarperCollins, 2011) to win a chance at monthly prizes and the Grand Prize of a Nook e-reader.

Comics Alums John J. Muth and Mo Willems Team Up for Children's Book from newsarama.com. Peek from John: "...there was this frog that kept showing up on my porch, for three nights straight! I still hadn’t said yes to Mo, and on the third night, this frog was on my porch, and I called him and said, 'I think I have to do this project, because there’s this frog on my porch, and I think it’s a sign or something.' "

The Role of Agents in Self-Publishing by Chris Eboch from Write Like a Pro! A Free Online Writing Workshop. Peek: "While some agents are still largely dismissing and ignoring the self-publishing trend, others are figuring out how they can work with self-publishing in their business." Note: Chris is both self- and traditionally published.

Cynsational Interns

Robin Galbraith holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Kate Pentecost holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is the YA author of Elysium Girls (Hyperion, winter 2020). Kate is represented by Sara Crowe of Pippin Properties.